I've had several requests from customers to bottle and sell mayonnaise and other emulsified sauces that are made on the premise. I have no experience doing this, but I've done a little research. We are going to be using glass bottles with a cork, I know how to sterilize them, but my question is what is the best way to go about this: it needs to have a reasonable shelf about 2/3 weeks under refrigeration. Will pasteurized eggs change the taste and the consistency of mayonnaise? Is there a particular way in which the mayonnaise/emulsified sauces can be prepared to help this?

The restaurant and deli support local produce, we don't add any artificial preservatives to food, we only use raw ingredients that support local farming with out harmful chemicals/pesticides/growth hormones and free-ranged meat/dairy that has not been treated with antibiotics and steroids etc.

Be extremely careful here. Commercial mayo is almost totaly bacteria free because of the process used to mak it. Pasteurized eggs would be better and yes they can be used. The biggest problem with this product is when they leave your store with the mayo, how long will it be sitting in their hot car?? You are still liable and responsible for the product.

Chefedb, are you sure thats right? I'd have thought that if someone did get food poisoning from it, then your stock would get tested, to see if it was down to you or down to themselves?

You can't be held responsible for someone elses stupidity

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You most certainly are held responsible for other stupidity!! That is why restaurant and bar owners need to carry LARGE liability policies. Even though the Mayo isnt in the manufacturers possesion they are still responsible for the ingredients used, how they were stored and the shelf life and research done to justify the shelf life so people dont get sick. Do you remember the jarred Pesto from 4-5 years ago? Retail store, Mom and Pop type place in DELMARVA area sold from their deli. A lady and her kid got VERY sick from it and ended up almost dying from e.Coli or Salmonella. It wasnt a problem on the deli's side but they didnt label it properly and didnt have the proper instructions on the jar with a sell by or manufacturer date and they ended up being sued and LOST the case for MILLIONS of dollars. It turned out the people who bought it opened it and never refrigerated it, used it in some time later in some type of salad or dressing and got sick.

Here is one to keep in mind for all. Lets say you pack a doggie bag for customer. And after leaving your place they go somewhere for

a few hours. The food still being in the car. Now they go home put it in fridge and have it next day for lunch. They now get sick,, Guess what YOU ARE STILL LIABLE. And worse yet they still have a sample of the food they can present to Health Dept or Lab. who does not have a clue that it sat in your hot car.

There are people who put food into bottles for a living... food packers. Contact a local (or fairly local) packer and see what they have to say.

My understanding is that packers bear all or nearly all of the liability if anything goes wrong. As a rule they follow your recipe, but will work with you to either resolve any safety issues like pasteurization which are specific to your packaged food, or refuse to pack. Given the known issues with mayonnaise, I don't think I'd do my own packaging.

Speaking of liability... if you're successful enough that this is a real concern, and aren't already a "corporation" or other business form which protects your personal assets and allows you some freedom with taxes, retirement planning, group medical plan buys, etc., you ought to think about it.

All the person has to say is "I do not read english"" You woulsd have to write it in hundreds of languages here.

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Not true. When have you ever seen a label written in "hundreds of languages?" Never. Yet food is sold.

Again, I strongly suggest talking with someone who packages other peoples' food for a living.

And just as strongly suggest not relying heavily on any legal advice you get in Chef Talk... not from the attorneys here (we mean well, but seldom have relevant experience or expertise); and especially from the non-attorneys.

As a chef for a manufacturer and one that worked for a "white sauce"(mayo) company for several years I will tell you that there aren't too many companies that will bottle "real" or fresh mayo without preservatives, pasteurized eggs, emulsifiers or all of the above, its WAY TOO DANGEROUS both in and out of the plant!! We used salted pasteurized eggs, preservatives and emulsifiers, cooked and bottled in a sterile environment and we made REAL Mayo 24/7/365 for 40% of the market place.

As an aside to the McDonalds lawsuit the woman that sued McDonalds and won a large jury settlement never received a penny. That case was over turned on appeal. It'd worth remembering that just about any one can sue for any reason. That doesn't mean they will prevail in the end.

I wouldn't even think about retail fresh mayo with all the sewage we have today in the US. As far as making mayo profitable I'm only going to say one thing.........Clear Jel.

Here are the facts on that McDonald's coffee case everyone loves to cite. 190 degree coffee is well above safe temp. As for the plaintiff she had 3rd degree burns on her groin and buttocks. All she originally wanted was $20k to cover actual med expenses. Mcds said no so she hired an attny. Seems pretty reasonable now. Since when is Mcds the good guy.

Also selling your own mayo sounds like a great way to get someone sick.